Ajisen Ramen (Vaughan) — Restaurant in Vaughan

Long post alert! This was the worst experience ever at Ajisen Ramen chain of restaurants.. writing this review to specifically Vaughan location. My wife and I went to this location for the first time, Ajisen Ramen is our go-to ramen place for vegetarian/ vegan ramen. But this location hasn't been anything other than disappointment. When we placed an order with our server, the conversation went as follows: Wife - we would like to place an order for 1 vegan harvest and 1 beyond meat vegan ramens each, and both of them would be with spicy miso broth as a base Server - okay, the broth for both would be vegetarian too? ( I mean, what sort of question is that? Obviously, it would be vegan as we are ordering vegan ramens to start with!) Wife - yes, that's correct Server - okay, anything else? Wife - no, that's what we would like to start with, and I a..... Server - (cutting my wife's statement and pointing and waving her finger towards the menu stand) You can leave the menus at the stand on the end of your table where you took it from! (With an egoistic tone and then repeats the order after my wife left the menus on the table) (we literally were still seeing the menu for new items or specials that we would order on the side once ramen was served!!)

Once the ramen arrives, the quantity of the broth looks less than 2/3rd of what we usually get in downtown Toronto locations, and 1 got more broth than the other(16oz - 18oz broth is Ajisen standard)

We confront with her about the same, and she states that she has always seen the vegan ramens to be less broth. (Seriously? We thought Ajisen Ramen is a chain of restaurants and would have standardized portion size all over its franchises)

Regardless, we were offered extra miso broth for our ramen, and guess what? We got the pork base broth as an additional top-up for vegan ramens that we order.. I literally got a piece of pork shreds in the second last bite of ramen. None of this was confronted to then as we were done with our dinner and just wanted to leave the place without creating a scene.

I don't understand why it is so difficult for people to be hospitable in the hospitality industry. Why treat your guests like trash and dupe them with quantities and food itself...

I’m a regular at Ajisen’s. Their meat to noodle portions, broth, and price is probably the best compared to the other ramen shops in the GTA. However, the online delivery is not good at all like how it is in-person. The quality is lacking a lot if you order online and presentation is sloppy, too. In-person is better, but there could be improvements to service, too. Some waitresses are a little bit stingy, although there are some nice waitresses, too. It would be nice if we were offered tea + hot water, instead of cold water. The atmosphere of the place is pretty nice; it’s spacious; however, there needs to be more cleaning done on the seats, tables, and utensils. I really only recommend the black garlic beef filet mignon ramen to be honest, as it’s the best one on the menu, but it is pricier than the others. Also, the black garlic broth would be better if it wasn’t too salty, but other than that, Ajisen Ramen is a pretty good ramen place. Some improvements here and there would definitely make it better.

[UPDATE - Feb 2025] I’ve been a customer here for almost 3 years now — the filet mignon beef ramen here is hands down best beef ramen in Woodbridge, Vaughan here. Plus, Ajisen ramen has a good and reasonable meat to noodle ratio, compared to other ramen shops in the GTA. But again, the broth can sometimes be too salty, whether it’s black garlic, miso, Tom yum, etc, so definitely needs work there. To add, the vegetarian broth was underwhelming to be honest and the broth was way too salty. I could only taste sodium and nothing else. Needs more improvement and more vegetables like fresh bamboo shoots/ wood ear mushrooms should be added without extra payment to all ramen bowls — need more vegetable variety. Also, the seats and tables need to be cleaned more thoroughly, as I often find oil marks and fingerprints or ramen broth tints still left on the tables from previous customers. Washroom is also dirty and needs more...

Ajisen is no stranger to the ramen scene. Today is the first time visiting in 10 years I wasn't a fan then and still not a fan now. I went for the half off special on the Original Pork ($15.99). There was no limit on how many bowls you could order so I did an extra one with Spicy Miso taré. Here's my honest review.

Noodles - salty and had a brittle firmness to them. Ramen should have a firm yet springy texture which Ajisen lacked. Ramen should be a balance between salt, potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate to have the perfect texture, otherwise you're left unsatisfied. I would suggest to create a more chewy noodle and adding natural yellow pigment for more appeal.

Broth - couldn't taste the pork flavor as the broth was heavily seasoned with other ingredients, salt, msg. It wasn't bad but wasn't good either. Very rich in viscosity but also very generic tasting.

Pork and egg - very disappointing as bowl comes with 2-3 thinly sliced pork belly and only half an egg. The half egg was hard boiled and overcooked. At $16 a bowl, consumers want more protein.

Spicy Miso Taré - a nice add on giving a more complex flavor and the spice made it more enjoyable.

By definition, Ramen should have a chewy and springy texture to the noodles, providing a satisfying bite. The broth should be rich, flavorful, and aromatic, with each ingredient contributing to a balanced and harmonious tasting experience. The toppings should compliment the broth and noodles, adding layers of flavor and texture. Overall, the experience should be comforting and deeply satisfying.

Today's experience showed a lack of attention to authenticity, a disregard of precision and poor execution of a dish that should be held at the highest standard.

Service was relatively friendly and seating was ample. Nice modern design with bright lighting. Clean. Hip hop & RB music in the background that didn't fit the mood. I appreciate the promotion but Ajisen...